The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Cuphea plant, botanically known as Cuphea hyssopifolia, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Light Lavender IIxe2x80x99.
The new Cuphea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Emerald, Victoria, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Cupheas with numerous flowers with attractive flower colors. The new Cuphea originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1997 of two unidentified proprietary Cuphea selections. The new Cuphea was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in 1997, in Emerald, Victoria, Australia, on the basis of its light purple flower color.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Emerald, Victoria, Australia since 1997 has shown that the unique features of this new Cuphea are stable and reproduced true to type in successve generations.
Plants of the cultivar Light Lavender II have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertilizer rate without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Light Lavender IIxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Light Lavender IIxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Glossy dark green leaves.
4. Numerous small light purple-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Cuphea differ from the parent selections and other known Cuphea cultivars primarily in plant habit and flower color as plants of the new Cuphea are more compact and have lighter purple-colored flowers than the parent selections and other known Cuphea cultivars.